Megalania

State school to year 10, thereafter school of hard knocks. I don't think that is to be recommended for too many Aussies these days simply because the degreed like to hire their own. OK if you make your own way. I have had some success with inventions/patents (which I will not mention futher). Its a narrow ridge on a difficult mountain but have you thought of turning your hand to invention? (Beware of R&D and marketing costs.)

Wilf

Well, you have already had years more than Michael Faraday and Thomas Edison. I am afraid that making puns on appletree's name is all I can invent. An idea is OK, but to see it through to something you can see and try, that is bloody hard. Good on you for the patents.

Florida_03

Neither entertainment nor an academic meal ticket. I never saw the insides of a university nor was I eligible to until I was 32. I then had to argue my way in as the academics tried to exclude me since I was of working class ilk...kith and kin.

My reasons were to keep myself employed and my family provided for as the Australian radio and telecommunications industry spat me out in the era of economically rationalised regurgitations. I have failed the fortune telling trade and am left with only a few choices.

The promise was there, Lucent were ramping up with major network builds, OneTel, Vodaphone, Orange and others were planning for big spends. Australia was re-entering the space technology field with FedSat. Queensland was to be the aerospace technology centre for excellence, with Boeing the major draw.

It has all come to nought, and am now too old to re-invent myself. My skills are in demand in the US. Indeed I have permanent immigrant visas in hand for myself, wife and 2 kids.

This is based on my skills (not just my education), I have no job offer in the US, and yet they have given us visas based on the premise that my coming to the US is in the national interest. You may not know it but to be granted a "National Interest Waiver", outside of the US, without a job offer is a very difficult task.

I am not blowing my trumpet nor complaining, merely saying that my country (for whatever reason) no longer values my skills, but the US have recognised my potential and granted me the right to live and work there freely because they consider that it is in their national interest to do so.

I feel sad about that...

pommie bastard

Australia knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

Florida_03

You may be right...but I still love my country...

Herman

Thanks everyone for the replies, many of which made me chuckle. (PS. "Herman" is a pseudonym, but I'm thinking of a permanent name change!).

Lee/Jane - if you do a search on my name you'll probably find plenty of comments from me on our reasons for returning. Essentially it boiled down to three factors: work, family and distance from Europe.

Of course there are great things about Australia and we are very fond of the place, but the "big three" I've just listed far outweighed the things we liked about Australia, such as sunshine/beaches/open space, which in our minds added up to superficial reasons for committing to live somewhere. As I've said before, everyone is different and we have friends who went to Australia at the same time as us and they love living there as those aspects of Australian life that my wife and I regard as "superficial" are regarded by them as the absolute keys to happiness.
All I would say is, go there with open eyes, accept that for the reasons I have cited it is not for everyone and that it is perfectly acceptable for it not to be for you. Be proud of your choices, wherever they lead you.

pommie bastard

Shame some of the deluded refugees on this site have not your good sense and values.

jah4reds

Congrats Herman - I hope you find the UK to be more to your liking than Aus. I will miss your unique perspective and opinions about life as an expat in Aus.

I seem to remember from one of your old posts about thinking about starting a family.

You have no idea what now awaits you...

Good luck.

AndyH.

Ceri

Herman, welcome back (to this forum). I though you were going to Czechoslovakia or something with your wife.(?)

Anyway welcome back - ahh sense of reason.

How's the UK? In your opinion has it changed that much since you last lived there?

Cheers

Herman

The UK does not seem to have changed that much to me. The only changes I have noticed in the past few years are that my friends are all growing up, having kids and settling down. Its nice to see. Also rents seem to be a bit more negotiable in London!
You are right, our long term plan is to buy land in the Czech Republic, build log cabins and rent to tourists (we would do it in the UK but we dont have the £2 million required!).
We spent 2 weeks on holiday there as soon as we returned and looked at land parcels and spoke to a number of builders. We have found the builder but none of the land was exactly what we were after, so we'll have another look later in the year. We are not in any great hurry though, as we are loving living back in the UK. We might have to move to Prague in a the next couple of years as an interim step to starting the business, as finding good land in a hurry is not an easy task and we need to scour the country to find the most tourist friendly locations.

Houdini

I thought you were heading for the UK.

Houdini

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Wilf
I am not qualified to say I am afraid, not being a university graduate. My kids are, though, but I never got the hang of what they did. You have a point about self-teaching. Michael Faraday was one man I remember from school in England..............

You went to school with Michael Faraday?

pommie bastard

Crawling up the Freeway in the doom and gloom with driving rain this morning , I watched the trains pass by packed like sardines .
The first thought that went through my head was its great here not like that little Island up in the land of the living.

renth

Did you see me in the train?

Don't forget though, over here everyone has a shower in the morning before heading to the station.

pommie bastard

No but give us a wave tomorrow and smile bound to spot a happy face not many about at 7 am this morning in the doom and gloom .
Not the Poms dont wash joke again , wheres a Pom hide his money under the soap , same poor humour.
Good job people are so smart here now that is bollocks.